The first army to arrive in Constantinople was that commanded by Godfrey of Bouillon. They arrived on the shores of Constantinople in December 1097, just weeks before Christmas. Alexius I Comnenus was prepared to meet this second army of Franks, but in no way was he looking forward to it. The annihilation of the people's... Continue Reading →
The first army that left for the Holy Land was that of Peter the Hermit's. It wasn't an actual army because the vast majority of his followers were peasants and laymen; many men had taken their entire families with them. Only a small minority of Peter's following were knights, commanded by the pious knight, Walter... Continue Reading →
This is another guest article by Author Helena Schrader. When we look back on the Crusades, we are more likely to think of the French, who dominated the Christian crusader kingdoms in “Outremer,” than the English. Alternatively, we might think of the Germans, who contributed huge contingents of troops to the First, Second, Third, and... Continue Reading →
This is a guest article by Kathryn Helstrom. Bernard was born into a prominent noble family of Dijon in the year 1090. In school, the boy showed great promise in literature and poetry. He received the call from God to enter the Benedictine order in his early 20s. His testimony was so powerful that 30... Continue Reading →
Following Pope Urban’s speech at Clermont in November 1095, the great lords of Europe set to work, preparing for the great expedition. Not only did they have to finance their own way, these lords – who would, in the Holy Land, assume control over the crusade and become known to later historians as the prominent... Continue Reading →
This is an overview of the First Crusade. I will be delving into much more detail over the next little while. On a crisp day, 27 November 1095, in the village of Clermont, France, Pope Urban II stood on a dais before a large gathering of people and preached Holy War against the Muslims in... Continue Reading →
My passion for the History of the Crusades was ignited in late fall of 2005 when I first saw the film, Kingdom of Heaven in one of UNBC’s few spacious theatre-type classrooms. I enjoyed that movie so much, I put it at the top of my Christmas wish-list. Much to my delight, I held a... Continue Reading →
The Middle Ages as we know them spanned from 700 – 1500 AD. This period in history was colorful and vibrant in many ways, yet dark and ruthless in other ways. Unfortunately, scholars and other popular authors of the early Modern Era (17th and 18th centuries) had focused on the ‘dark’ side of the Middle... Continue Reading →
Today, the whole point of warfare is to kill the enemy as quickly as possible using methods and weapons that inflict as little pain as possible. In the Middle Ages, however, the goal in warfare was to terrify the enemy into submission and retreat. Weapons were built and used in order to create as much... Continue Reading →
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